14th Apr 2005, 05:12

My Mother, when she was alive, loved Toyota Camrys. This was her 4th one before she passed away from cancer in July of 2004. The 2002 Toyota Camry LE can't be beat! Great gas mileage, plenty of room and very dependable.

2002 Toyota Camry LE 3.0 V6 from North America

Summary:

Faults:

The transmission "clunks" when shifting from reverse to drive after the car has been setting for five or six hours.

The car has a hesitation at as if the transmission can't decide what gear it wants to be in.

General Comments:

The transmission problems that I have with this car and Toyota's refusal to fix the car, make me wish I never bought the car.

I've been to three different Toyota dealers with the car trying to get something done and it's more than a coincidence that they all have the same response, "It's normal, it's a characteristic of the car".

They refuse to even lift the hood to check the transmission dipstick. It's as if they do anything it could be an acknowledgment that a problem does exist.

19th Jan 2004, 09:30

As a 2002 Toyota Camry LE owner, I would like to state that I, too, am having the same problems; i.e., power steering pump and car hesitation. I recently took my car to my local Toyota dealer for servicing who informed me that although they suspected my power steering pump was beginning to fail, there was no concrete evidence of this fact. (Although I had to replace quite a lot of the power steering fluid, they claimed they could not find the leak). Accordingly, they refused to replace the power steering pump under my extended warranty. My vehicle currently has 40,200 miles on it. This, unfortunately, is the last straw for me as a Camry owner. Previously they replaced my air compressor (which, ironically, my VIN no. showed it was an American air compressor, but when they actually removed the air compressor from my car, it was determined it was a Japanese make). In any event, I wanted a Camry for years (drove a Toyota Corolla for 10 years) and, with the problems that keep coming up, I can no longer trust this vehicle to get me to/from my job, which is 100 miles round trip. It is my intention to trade my Camry in this week... from a very disappointed 2002 Camry owner.

2002 Toyota Camry SE V6 from North America

Summary:

Faults:

General Comments:

The V6 Camry SE is very affordable luxury and performance.

The car eats up the miles effortlessly and comfortably, but the V6 has very good pickup and acceleration when merging or passing.

With the SE the suspension is quite firm and sporty, you do feel the road through the seat of your pants. The upside is very tight, precise handling and very quick response through the sport sized steering wheel.

Interior fit and finish is very good. This vehicle has the upgraded cloth interior which is a major step up from the standard LE. The SE also gives you very nice looking silver trim and instrumentation, which while still plastic doesn't look "plasticy".

All controls are well laid out, and very intuitive to use. The layout is so uncluttered that at first glance you'll think you are missing something - but it is just a nice clean design.

Although I've heard a lot of negatives about the exterior design I think the look compares favorably with a Lexus ES300. It doesn't have the sporty look of a Nissan Altima, but it is a very classic design that will hold up well.

The only downside so far has been the OEM Bridgestone Turanza's that came on the vehicle. These have turned out to be terrible on any amount of snow or ice, and have severe hydroplaning problems when wet.

I had the tires siped by a local shop, and this has made a significant improvement in grip. I plan on upgrading to a high quality all-season before next winter, or a dedicated winter tire on some basic steel rims.

So far at 7,500 miles gas mileage is averaging about 22-25 mpg for highway driving. I attribute this to a lead foot and the fact that it engine won't be fully broken in for a couple of thousand more miles.

I always knew that Camry's were considered very reliable transportation.

With the 2002 and up model year and the SE option you can have reliability and performance in a very attractive package.

Now the aftermarket just needs to catch up with some body kits, and you could add 17" or 18" wheels and be fighting off the kids at the stoplights!

26th Jul 2004, 07:26

I just returned from a vacation along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. My 2002 Camry SE performed like a champ. The handling on sharp mountain curves was incredible. It has a good combination of feel of the road and comfort. The 16" Bridgestone tires are no problem in the southeastern U.S.

I expect the long-term reliability to be at least as good as other Toyotas that I have owned.

27th Mar 2003, 17:00

I am a true lover of toyota's and own 3 of them however I do have to agree with you on the ugliness of the new Camry. I kinda think it looks like the Echo which is another design boo boo! I certainly hope they fire whoever is screwing up these wonderful reliable cars cause I will be buying one another one some day.